Health

Cut Down for the Summer with These Easy Exercises

Winter has passed and summer is approaching. Most of us gained some unwanted weight over the past few months, and now it is time to get rid of it – if we want to look good in our bathing suits. Dieting and spending hours at the gym daily can be exhausting and time consuming, but if you plan your activities and nutrition right, losing weight can be a breeze for you. Firstly, instead of going on some fad diet and becoming more and more frustrated, allow yourself to eat a balanced diet (including the foods you love), but make sure that you eat within your normal calorie range. Secondly, it is important to do effective exercises instead of those that make you tired but show no results. In order to help you cut down for the summer without having to waste hours and lots of energy, we have made a list of several simple exercises. Be consistent, and very quickly you will see that you’re becoming more toned and the fat is melting.

1. Power Walking

This is one of the easiest, and probably the least boring exercises for losing weight. Take your headphones with you, put some music on and go for a power walk. A power walk is just like a regular walk, with one difference – you walk faster and your heart beats faster as well. Walking this way for 20-40 minutes daily can boost your metabolism and help you burn fat much more quickly than you would by just dieting or strength training.

While you’re power walking, your entire body is active and you’re burning fat in all areas.

If power walking by yourself is boring, get a friend to exercise with you. That way, you can spend some quality time with them while also working out. Isn’t it a win-win situation?

2. A short cardio workout

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Start with a 5-10 minute walk with speed variations. If you’re going to the gym, then put a mat, an exercise ball and a dumbbell beside it. Turn on the treadmill and start sprinting. Do that for 30 seconds, and then carefully step off the treadmill (but keep it running). Then place your body into a plank position on the mat and keep it up for 30 seconds. Get back to the treadmill and sprint for another 30 seconds. Again, get back on the mat and this time do 30 reverse crunches, holding on to the dumbbell above your head and lifting and lowering your legs. This exercise will blast your lower abs.

Get back on the treadmill and sprint for another 30 seconds, and then return to the mat again. This time you will sit with your knees slightly bent, and your back straight (but slightly drawn to the ground). You will hold the exercise ball in front of you. Start the exercise by slowly turning your hands holding the ball to the left. Return to the neutral position and do the same on the right. Repeat the exercise at least 10 times on each side.

Repeat the entire sequence for 8-10 times. This will definitely get your heart pumping and your fat burning. When you’re done with the sequence, finish with a 5-10 minute cardiovascular cool down.

3. Squats

Whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose fat – or both – squats are among the best exercises you can perform. However, before using weights to do them, you first need to make sure you can do body weight squats properly. Squats will strengthen the muscles of your legs, glutes, core, abs and back. And even a small number of repetitions will bring results.

Start this exercise with your feet a little wider than your shoulders and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor (if you can lower your body even more – feel free to do so). During this entire exercise, your back needs to be kept straight and your abs tight. Do this exercise for 12-20 times with your body weight, or if you’re using additional weight – 10-12 times.

4. Pushups

Pushups are another of those effective exercises that you can do wherever you are. You probably know how to do a pushup, but in case you don’t – you start with your hands and feet on the floor at the width of your shoulders and hips, and then you flex your elbows (not sideways, but towards your hips) until your entire body is very close to the ground. Then push up until your elbows are straight again. Repeat this exercise as many times as you can, and use only your body weight.

This exercise gets your heart pumping and your blood running faster through your veins, and helps you burn fat. It also targets several areas of your body, including your arms, shoulders, back and abs, so doing this exercise helps you lose weight and tone up.

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